John Barnes (1867)

Born 13 Mar 1867 in Windle, St Helens, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

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Biography

John Barnes was born on 13 Mar 1867 in Windle, St Helens. He was the son of Charles Barnes and Margaret (Prescott) Barnes. He was christened on 27 Mar 1867 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston. His father's occupation was given as collier, and the family's address as Windle. John had one sibling when he was born, his older sister Margaret Ellen.

John's sister Elizabeth Alice Barnes was born 1 Mar 1868 in Windle. She was christened on 1 Nov 1868 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston. The father's occupation was given as miner, and the family's address as Windle.

John's brother George Barnes was born on about 11th August 1870 in Windle. He was christened on 24 Aug 1870 at St Thomas' in Eccleston. The family's address was recorded (possibly erroneously) as Eccleston, and the father's occupation as collier, and George's birth date as August 11th. He appears to have been christened a second time at the same church, by the same clergyman, five weeks later on 2 Oct 1870. This time his birth date was given as August 10th, and the family's address as Windle. It's not impossible these were two different children in two different families, but seems more likely the two records refer to the same child, for whatever reason, as there is no sign of there having been another couple named Charles and Margaret Barnes in St Helens around then.

By April 2nd 1871, the family had their own household at 2 Court No 1 in College Street. Three children of the four surviving children were there on census night - Margaret Ellen (5), Elizabeth Alice (2) and George Barnes (7 months old). Four-year-old John was staying with Margaret's parents, nearby in College Street, on census night.

Little George probably died late the same year, at the age of 15 months, and was buried November 3rd 1871 at St Thomas'. However the name of this child was given in both death registration and burial record as Charles Barnes. There is no match for Charles Barnes in local birth registrations or in the 1871 census, and no local death registration for a George Barnes of the right age before 1875, when his parents used the name George for another baby. The address given for Charles Barnes in the burial record was Windle.

John's sister Isabella Barnes, was born in 1872 in Windle.

John's sister Mary Barnes was born 23 Jan 1874. She was christened on 26 Jul 1874 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston. The father's occupation was given as collier, and the family's address as Windle. Little Mary died in January 1875, aged eleven months, and was buried on 26 Jan 1875 at St Thomas' Church, Eccleston. The family's address was again given as Windle.

John's brother George Barnes was born in October 1875 in St Helens, and christened on 31 Oct 1875 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston. The father's occupation was given as miner, and the family's address as Windle.

John's brother William Barnes was born on 26 Nov 1877, and christened on 16 Dec 1877 at St Thomas' Church in Eccleston. The father's occupation was given as miner, and the family's address as College Street. William only lived to be five months old; he was buried on May 16th at St Thomas'. The family's address was given as College Street.

John's father died in 1880 aged 38; his death was registered in the second quarter of the year (in Prescot district).

John's sister Mary Barnes was born in 1880, possibly after her father's death since her birth was registered in the third quarter of the year (in Prescot district).

By April 3rd 1881, John's mother was living in College Street with five of her six children who were still alive - she had lost four now. Margaret Ellen was alive and single but hasn't yet been located in the 1881 census; she was probably working as a servant somewhere. John was fourteen, and working as an errand boy at the chemical works; Elizabeth Alice (12), Isabella (8) and George (5) were in school; and baby Mary was nine months old.

Little Mary Barnes died in January 1883, aged two and a half. She was buried at St Thomas' in Eccleston; her family's address was given as College Street.

Margaret Ellen married James Woods on October 20th 1887 at Christ Church, Eccleston.

John's mother married Henry Lawson in 1889, in Prescot district. He was a widower with children.

John's sister Elizabeth Alice married William Henry Fryer in 1890 in Prescot district.

By April 5th 1891, John and his brother George were living with their married sister Margaret Ellen, in Ward Street in Windle. Her husband James was working as a carter; John was working as a general labourer; and George as a glass cutter's apprentice.

By March 31st 1901, John was boarding with his married sister Elizabeth Alice in Hamer Street, St Helens. Her husband William Henry Fryer was a circular saw worker; John was working as an insurance agent.

By April 2nd 1911, John had moved to Crompton in the Manchester area. He was still working as an insurance agent. His mother, now widowed, was living with him, as were two of his Fryer nephews and their sister. Sixteen-year-old Lily Kirkham was visiting them on census night; she was from St Helens, but probably living elsewhere, because like the nephews and niece, she had a job in a cotton mill.

Sources

• Birth registration listed on https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/indexes_search.asp

• Baptism listed on Lancashire Online Parish Clerk

• "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VBFK-V5X : 11 December 2017), Mary Prescott in entry for John Prescott, 1871.

• "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q27L-T4YY : 13 December 2017), Margaret Barnes, Windle, Lancashire, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 19, Piece/Folio 3732/46, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,775,075.

• "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7771-RW2 : 10 December 2017), Margaret E Woods in household of James Woods, Windle, Lancashire, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Lancashire county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9GZ-QSH : 8 April 2016), John Barnes in household of William Henry Fryer, St Helens, Lancashire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing St Helens subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4MQ-TGW : 2 August 2017), Margaret Lawson in household of John Barnes, Crompton, Shaw, Lancashire, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

The civil registration index, and the England and Wales censuses, are Crown Copyright.